Read what Wiliam Poromaa had to say about Petter Northug when the two cross-country skiing stars trained together in Livigno, Italy.

When Sweden’s cross-country skier William Poromaa was at the altitude training camp in Livigno, he had an unexpected encounter with the Norwegian legend. 

“I met Petter in Livigno for the first time this summer. I trained with him for a session, and his brother Even, too. He trains hard, you have to say that. And he seems motivated. So, I definitely think he’ll have a good season this winter,” Poromaa tells Expressen.

Was it fun to hang out with Northug when you were there? 

“No, it wasn’t. It wasn’t that fun to train with him, actually. It was too hard. But he’s nice to talk to. We talked a bit about training and stuff,” says Poromaa. 

The altitude camp in Livigno was one of several for Poromaa this year, as he will spend more days at altitude than ever. 

Read More: Swedish national team training at altitude in Livigno

“Must dare to push the limits a little more.”

Last winter, Poromaa won bronze in the 50km race at the World Championships in Planica. It was a milestone for the 22-year-old and Swedish cross-country skiing. Poromaa’s medal was Sweden’s first World Championships medal on the men’s side since 2017. 

Now, Poromaa hops to break new barriers, so he has set up a slightly different schedule for himself in the run-up to the upcoming season. This means even more days at altitude than the Swedish national team, who are also embarking on a large-scale altitude project as part of their preparations for the 2026 Olympics in Milan/Cortina.

“A championship-free season means you can try different things and push the boundaries a little more. I really believe in this,” Poromaa tells Längd.se.

“I’ve chosen to focus a lot on altitude training for the upcoming season. I trained at altitude before the World Championships this winter and the Olympics (in 2022), and I know I respond well to it. But the training we do in the winter is slightly different from what we do in the summer. In winter, you’re nowhere near as ‘training-focused’ as you are in summer,” he says. 

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For Poromaa, this winter will be his first season at the World Cup level without major championships, allowing him to experiment more in the run-up to the season.  

“It means I can take the chance to push the boundaries a little more. I take a lot of learning and experience from the altitude camps that I will use to take new steps forward. This also applies to what I do in the run-up to future championships,” says Poromaa, and adds: 

“I’m happy with the training I’ve done so far this year. Then, we’ll find out how it has worked in the winter.”

Big ambitions this winter, too

Even if the coming winter is without major championships, William Poromaa has much to accomplish.

“I hope to do as many races as possible. I’ve been on the podium in the World Cup, but I’ve never won a World Cup, so that’s a goal,” says the 22-year-old. 

“Obviously, it’s the championships that motivate me the most, but after this season, there will be three consecutive years of major championships (the 2025 World Championships in Trondheim, the 2026 Olympics in Milan/Cortina, and the 2027 World Championships at home in Falun).